Upon Torn Banners Trod: Investigating Revolution in the Early Modern Period.
Publication Date
2026
Presentation Length
15 minutes
College
College of Liberal Arts & Social Sciences
Department
Political Science, Department of
Student Level
Undergraduate
Faculty Mentor
Nathan Griffith
Presentation Type
Article
Summary
Revolution, that being the systemic change of political structure in a given state, is a fairly recent innovation. Until the early modern period, humanity was governed largely by feudal autocracies of one variety or another. However, the 17th through the 19th century saw great amounts of political and social upheaval, often culminating in revolution. Many of these revolutions failed, yet some succeeded. The purpose of this study is to identify the mechanisms and components which permitted some early modern revolutions to succeed while others failed. Whereas most works within revolutionary studies focus upon the 20th and 21st century, it is the interest of this research to determine the distinct characteristics of preceding events in an effort to fill a potentially consequential gap in present literature.
Recommended Citation
Ackerman, Edward R., "Upon Torn Banners Trod: Investigating Revolution in the Early Modern Period." (2026). SPARK Symposium Presentations. 821.
https://repository.belmont.edu/spark_presentations/821
